Tang San wrote a large Chinese character '努' (nǔ - effort) on the earthen ground—its upper part meaning 'slave,' its lower part meaning 'force.''
The depth of Chinese characters is truly profound.
"I was born into the Clear Sky Sect, blessed with Innate Full Spirit Power and possessing the strongest offensive Item Martial Soul on the Douluo Continent. Since my Spirit Awakening at six years old, I've consumed Immortal Grade Blood Ginseng daily to strengthen my physique. Thanks to Immortal Grade Herbs, my mastery of Soul Skills has progressed twice as fast."
"My current Soul Power reaching the 40th rank isn't due to hard work, diligence, or endless cultivation. It's because I obtained a tremendous opportunity at ten years old, which boosted my Soul Power by six or seven levels. Otherwise, I'd only be just past the 30th rank now." Tang San raised his right hand and continued, "This ten-thousand-year Right Arm Spirit Bone was another opportunity I secured recently by leveraging the influence of the Clear Sky Sect—a spoil of battle."
"I defeated all six of you from Shrek Academy. Tell me, how much of that strength came from effort?"
Hearing Tang San's words, Ning Rongrong's eyes widened in shock, her lips slightly parted. This completely contradicted her understanding—no, it shattered her worldview.
Tang San sighed softly and spoke earnestly, "As the young mistress of your sect, your status is similar to mine. Since childhood, you must have witnessed countless sect disciples sweating it out in training grounds. Were they not diligent? Yet how many ever reached the Soul Emperor realm? Even Soul Kings are rare."
"Your father, Ning Fengzhi, is at the 79th rank. Though the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School keeps it hidden, many know your sect's Spirit Power limit is 79 due to your Martial Soul's inherent flaw—you cannot break through to Soul Douluo. Can mere effort overcome that?"
"Of course, I'm not saying effort is useless. On the contrary, it's incredibly valuable—it can even liberate slaves. But effort alone isn't the ultimate advantage. Don't lose sight of the bigger picture while chasing trivial gains."
"We can't control luck or opportunities, but leveraging power—that you can do." Tang San concluded, "Ning Rongrong, since fate has brought us together, I'll offer you one last piece of advice. The Soul Master World is brutally unforgiving. Talent and hard work alone won't guarantee victory. If you enjoy Shrek Academy, by all means continue studying there. That Soul Master named Lan Yin might even lead you to a great opportunity. But you should embrace the power of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School—that's how you'll truly ascend further."
"Otherwise, when you hit that bottleneck and miss your prime cultivation years, regret will come too late."
With that, Tang San had said his part. He'd done what he could. Paying no mind to the dazed Ning Rongrong staring at the character on the ground, he walked away. If she could internalize this lesson, she might still achieve greatness. Besides, it'd be dreadfully dull if his five-year duel opponent proved too weak.
Tang San never actually visited the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's training grounds, because shortly after, Ning Fengzhi returned upon receiving the letter.
In the main hall...
"Father!" Ning Rongrong's face lit up with playful delight upon seeing Ning Fengzhi, and she rushed forward for an embrace.
"Rongrong, your father has urgent business right now. Xiao San, is what the letter said true?" Ning Fengzhi arrived in a hurry, even bypassing Ning Rongrong directly to stand before Tang San.
Seeing her father ignore her like this, Ning Rongrong was dumbfounded—who exactly was his child here?!
Tang San took out a Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School token from his Soul Guidance Device—it naturally belonged to Ning Fenghong—and placed it on the table, saying, "I'm sorry. That place collapsed in the end. This was all I could bring back."
Not only had it collapsed, but it had also been utterly obliterated by Qian Renxue's Soul Bone Ability.
Ning Fengzhi picked up the token, sorrow flashing in his eyes. "As a Soul Master, Fenghong was prepared for this outcome long ago."
At the sight of the token, Ning Rongrong, who had been sulking, suddenly froze. She seemed to realize something and asked, "What... what happened to Brother Hong? Tang San, say something!"
Tang San replied softly, "By the time I arrived, he had already been killed by a Spirit Beast. The reason I came to Heaven Dou Imperial City this time is to request Poison Douluo and several other Douluo from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School to attend a Titled Douluo conference. We need to discuss the newly discovered Insectoid Soul Beasts—they possess formidable strength and high intelligence."
Hearing that Ning Fenghong had been killed by a Spirit Beast, Ning Rongrong's face went blank, and she slumped weakly into a chair. Unlike Tang Hao, Ning Fengzhi had many children and even more than one wife, but among Ning Rongrong's familiar elder brothers, Ning Fenghong was one.
Ning Fengzhi nodded. "Rest assured, our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School will be there on time. Xiao San, if you're not in a hurry, you can stay at the castle for a few more days to keep Rongrong company."
Tang San didn't expose Ning Fengzhi's little scheme, as he coincidentally needed to stay at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School for some time anyway. Not only was he waiting for his father to arrive, but he also needed to keep Dugu Bo in suspense—this would work to his advantage.
Over the next few days, Tang San mostly ate, slept, and trained his Soul Skills in the practice grounds. As for Ning Fengzhi's deliberate attempts to foster a relationship between him and Ning Rongrong, he verbally agreed, but in reality, he hadn't seen her since that day.
Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, a week had gone by.
A week later, Tang Hao finally arrived in Heaven Dou Imperial City. Naturally, Tang San left the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. As for Ning Rongrong, she hadn't been seen since learning of Ning Fenghong's fate, but Tang San wasn't concerned about that—he had more important matters to attend to.
Upon hearing his son's speculation, Tang Hao asked, "You're saying Dugu Bo needs Yang Wudi to help detoxify him, and you suspect Dugu Bo might possess a considerable amount of Immortal Grade Herbs?"
Tang San nodded. "Yes. Though it's just speculation, I think the likelihood is high."
"Do you have a way to detoxify Dugu Bo?"
"Through that Soul Guidance Device, I learned some detoxification methods from the Ancient Tang Sect. The only issue is that it will take some time and Immortal Grade Herbs. With you here, my safety is guaranteed. Though I don't think Dugu Bo would actually kidnap me, it's still good to be cautious."
Tang Hao narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at his son with an amused smile. "You little rascal. Don't tell me you're thinking that if Dugu Bo doesn't offer enough, you want me to rob him by force?"
Tang San gave a forced smile and said, "How could that be? I'm not that kind of person. But with you here, Father, I'll have more confidence in the negotiation."
After some discussion, Tang San decided to have Bai Chenxiang accompany him to visit Dugu Bo, while Tang Hao would remain hidden as their trump card to avoid provoking Dugu Bo.
Soon, Tang San and Bai Chenxiang arrived at Dugu Bo's private residence in Heaven Dou Imperial City.
"Please inform your master that Tang San requests an audience," Tang San said to the gatekeeper.
Dugu Bo's residence was well-hidden. If not for Dugu Bo's prior disclosure, Tang San wouldn't have known he lived here.
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